View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In "The Dragon-Princess," Rilke writes, "It is not _____ alone that is responsible for human relationships repeating themselves from case to case..."

2. Who said, "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, 'You shall not kill; and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment."

3. What is the principle subject of "Blood-Remembering"?

4. What must "one know" in order to write a single verse?

5. Mood writes in "The Difficulty of Dying," that Rilke had been fascinated by "that circling _____."

Short Essay Questions

1. What comparison does Rilke use to explain human experience in "The Dragon-Princess"?

2. What does Mood posit that the word "Desire" implies in "The Difficulty of Dying"?

3. In "Blood-Remembering," what does Rilke write about the young as writers?

4. In Mood's discussion of "The Difficulty of Dying," what symbol does he analyze first?

5. Describe in your own words what Rilke means in his metaphor of man's world in "The Dragon-Princess."

6. What does Mood believe Rilke associated between life and death?

7. What does Rilke say of "forgetting" in "Blood-Remembering"?

8. What does Rilke speak of initially regarding solitude in "The Dragon-Princess"?

9. What does Mood discuss in the introduction to "The Dragon-Princess"?

10. What does Rilke remark in "Blood-Remembering" of the memories themselves?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Rilke in terms of Expressionism and Existentialism. How does Rilke fit into these movements, when and where did they arise, and what in his works reflect these styles?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the differences between Rilke's prose and his poetry. What stylistic elements are present in both? Which are limited to one or the other?

Essay Topic 3

In a poem such as the following, discuss the relevance and significance of its short length. What is the subject of the poem? What is its theme? What is your analysis of its structure?

"Also to affirm even rapture / like a thing"

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 864 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample